The Price of Competitiveness
by Bicky Monster
Summary: Draco just wants to be the best, but there are unforeseen consequences.
1. The Price of Competitiveness

**AN: Well this was a rather unexpected little one-shot, inspired by a picture of Tom Felton that Starlight Massacre and I were having a laugh about. I hope that you enjoy it.**

 **There is a hint of pre-slash at the end of this story, but nothing much, and mostly just cute fluffiness.**

 **(Unbeta-ed, so feel free to point out errors)**

* * *

 **The Price of Competitiveness**

"Argh!" Draco exclaimed in frustration, slamming his fist down on the desk next to the cauldron, making it wobble slightly on its stand. "What in Merlin's name am I doing wrong?" he asked himself as he peered down into the botched potion mixture with a confused frown on his face. He coughed, waving his hand in front of his face to clear away the waft of fumes that came up at him.

He had been alone in the potions classroom for the last three and a half hours, and had just failed to make a laughing potion for the fourth time. On the surface the instructions didn't seem all that complicated, and he had followed them to the letter but, by the time that he got to the point of adding the pufferskin hair, the potion had always gone a far darker colour than it should have.

"Stupid Snape and his stupid potions," Draco said huffily, though he was rather startled when a giggle bubbled up passed his lips. He smothered it quickly with an awkward cough, focusing again. Draco was just trying to make his father proud, be the best but Snape kept setting difficult assignments and, somehow, Granger seemed to be the only one up to the task.

He turned to check the textbook again but in doing so somehow managed to get his feet tangled around each other, and the next thing he knew he was tumbling downwards. He grabbed out to catch himself but just found the seat of a stool, bringing it down on top of himself as his arse collided painfully with the stone floor. He was so stunned that he just sat there for a moment, blinking in surprise.

"Ouch!" he exclaimed in a delayed reaction, before bursting out laughing at himself and his own stupidity; he was exceedingly glad that no one had been around to see that. He let himself fall backwards until he was lying on the floor of the potions classroom, a stupid grin on his face that just didn't seem to want to go away.

It was obvious to him at that point that he needed to call it a night, given that he had missed dinner, still didn't actually know what it was that he was doing wrong and was apparently overly tired. He would start again the next day after some serious research, and hopefully figured out where it was all going wrong. Right now though he was obviously tired or something because he was feeling quite out of sorts.

He was still a Malfoy though, and as such couldn't be caught lying on the ground, so he hefted himself up off the floor before anyone else could happen upon him. He picked up his wand from next to the cauldron and waved it; however, rather than cleaning the cauldron and surrounding area as he had expected, it simply filled the air around him with rather spectacular multi-coloured sparks that made high-pitched squealing sounds.

"Whoops," Draco said, laughing again and actually enjoying the miniature fireworks display he had accidentally created. He had learned how to cast several cleaning spells wordlessly in the last year or so, and had never had anything like that result before.

He was rather surprised to note the lack of his usual irritation at the failed spell but he couldn't bring himself to even be bothered by that; clearly he really did need to get back to the common room and have an early night.

Focusing carefully on the cauldron this time, and taking care to follow the wand movement precisely, Draco cast the cleaning spell again, saying "Scourgify," out loud this time. He grinned a little manically at the perfectly clean cauldron and focused hard as he repeated the process on the area where he had been working.

He laughed loudly in earnest as he stared at the table. It was now cleaner than he had ever seen any part of the dungeon room; it was almost glistening, and seemed to have been purged of several decades', if not centuries', worth of dirt, grime and potions residue.

"Maybe I over did it," he said to himself, as he happily gathered up the few bottles and jars of ingredients he had been using and all but skipped his way over to the store cupboard to put them away. After all, Snape was unlikely to keep overlooking Draco's use of the potions classroom if he came back to find that it had been left in a mess.

He was still in an inexplicably good mood when he was done putting his belongings back into his bag, throwing it over his shoulder and wandering out of the classroom. There were a few students wandering through the corridors and a group of third year Hufflepuffs looked quite disturbed by the smile he gave them, as they all hung close to the wall and rushed off the moment they were passed him.

"Well that was rude," he muttered indignantly, holding his head high and huffing slightly as he continued on his way towards the entrance to the Slytherin common room. Sure, he knew that had a reputation that was respected by most of the school but that didn't mean that other students should cower away from a simple smile. He knew for a fact he had a delightful smile.

By the time he had entered the common room, Draco had decided that it was clearly their issue; those third years were obviously just being cautious and were rightfully fearful of him, as an older and much wiser student. They were Hufflepuffs after all and there was simply no understanding such people.

"Draco…" Pansy said a little hesitantly as he sauntered across the room. Draco was heading straight for the dormitories, not wanting to let any one of his housemates spoil his good mood, but now he paused, turning to look at her.

"Pansy," he replied, looking at her expectantly, finding the baffled and rather alarmed look on her face most entertaining.

"Were you… whistling?" she asked, sounding quite genuinely concerned.

Draco opened his mouth to respond, but quickly snapped it shut again a second later when he thought back. He realised that he actually had been; it hadn't been something that he had been consciously doing, he hadn't even noticed, but he definitely had been.

"I was," he said confidently, smiling at her, daring her to criticise him. He was certainly enjoying the disbelieving reaction it was getting from his housemate.

"And… you're smiling," Pansy added, as Crabbe and Goyle both came over to see what was going on. "What in Merlin's name happened to you?" she demanded to know, grabbing hold of both of Draco's arms and leaning close to examine his face.

"Nothing!" Draco insisted, pulling free of her hold and taking a step back from her. "And I really did not need to see your puggish face that close up," he told her dismissively, actually giggling at the shocked and indignant look she gave him for that comment.

"How dare...?!" she started to protest, however, Draco simply raised a single finger and pressed it to her lips, silencing her before she could finish her sentence.

"Hush," he insisted, with a teasing smirk. "Now, be gone boulder people," he added as he turned to look at Crabbe and Goyle, his finger still pressed to Pansy's lips as he laughed at his own joke, waving his two large housemates away with his free hand.

"Us?" Goyle asked, sharing a confused look with Crabbe, never having been called such a thing before now and then looking back at Draco again. He looked even more baffled when he realised that the blond was giggling madly now.

"Salazar, Draco, what the hell did you take?!" Pansy exclaimed loudly, finally regaining enough of herself to bat Draco's hand away from her face. Her carrying voice drew the attention of even more of the students in the common room, but this just seemed to make Draco laugh even more.

"Nothing, Pans! Didn't take anything," he insisted with a grin, patting a hand on her shoulder. "I'm fine. I'm better than fine even," he added shrugging dramatically with his whole arms as he strode passed her.

He laughed a little at himself as his unsteady footing nearly sent him tumbling to the floor. He just manage to keep himself upright long enough to tumble over one end of a sofa near the fireplace, leaving him sprawled over it on his back, his head resting against someone's thigh. He couldn't see who though, as the person's face was hidden behind the book they had been reading.

Slowly the book was moved off to one side, revealing the frowning face of Blaise Zabini. "Draco," his housemate said slowly, "what are you doing?"

"Blaise!" Draco responded jovially, with a broad smile on his face. "Fancy meeting you here. You are a very comfy pillow," the blond said, his nose scrunching up in thought as he shuffled his shoulders around a little to make himself more comfortable.

"And you are very pointy," Blaise informed him drily, wincing as Draco's bony shoulders dug into his leg. "Ow, Draco!" he protested when the blond continued to shuffle about trying to get comfortable.

"Gah, fine," Draco grumbled half-heartedly, giggling as he sat up only to quickly climb into, a very stunned, Blaise's lap properly. He smiled dopily at Blaise, their faces only inches apart. "You are much more attractive then Pansy this close up," the blond told him softly, pressing a kiss to the tip of Blaise's nose before grinning at him.

"...Thank you..." Blaise said, raising one eyebrow in bemusement. "What are you doing?" he questioned as Draco cuddled up against his chest, grey eyes drifting shut. "Are you planning to just stay there?" he asked when Draco's breathing started to even out, as though he was falling to sleep.

"Mhmm," Draco hummed, nodding his head in confirmation, inhaling deeply and revelling the masculine scent that was purely Blaise. "Sleepy now," he informed his housemate, a dreamy smile on his face as he drifted off to sleep.

-#-

As Draco slowly regained consciousness, the first thing he was aware of was that he was comfortable and warm, though reluctant to open his eyes discover whose arms were wrapped around him, whose chest his head was resting against. His memories of the evening before were hazy and confused, and he scrunched up his face as he tried to remember what had happened.

The familiar drawl of Snape broke the silence. "Welcome back, Mr Malfoy," he said, and Draco forced his eyes open and found that the professor was sitting in an armchair a few feet away from him. Snape was definitely looking mildly amused and so Draco scowled, knowing that didn't mean anything good.

"What do you remember, Draco?" Blaise asked, and Draco looked up, as he realised whose lap it was that he was sitting. Blaise was watching him closely with an expression of genuine concern that Draco had never seen on his housemate's face before.

"I..." Draco started to say, but paused as he tried to think back and work out how he had ended up there. However, all he could think about was that he was in Blaise's arms, and so coughing awkwardly, he shuffled himself out of Blaise's hold and onto his own two feet.

Draco took a moment to look around the room, which he didn't recognise but suspected was Snape's private quarters, particularly given the shelves upon shelves of clearly old books. He was, though, very aware that he was still being watched and so quickly took a seat on the sofa next to where Blaise was sat, his arms wrapped around his own waist.

"I presume you were attempting to brew the laughing potion," Snape said after a few moments of silence. It was what they had been studying in class a few days earlier and would be making in class the following week.

Draco nodded his head confidently; he definitely remembered being in the potions classroom brewing that. He remembered trying to brew it several times, now that he thought about it, and it going wrong each time, and the fumes coming off it... "Oh," he said slowly, realising his mistake far too late. "The fumes."

It wasn't a question, but Snape nodded his head once in confirmation regardless, and Blaise was apparently unable to hold back his chuckle of amusement. Draco groaned and buried his head in his hands; he was definitely starting to remember now. He remembered how he couldn't stop giggling and smiling, the Hufflepuffs he had creeped out, and the way he had spoken to Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle.

Draco lifted his head to look at Blaise. He now remembered exactly how he had come to be asleep on Blaise's lap, though Draco was a little baffled why his housemate hadn't just dumped him onto the floor or something; though he was grateful for it, given how easily he bruised.

"You really didn't want to let go of me," Blaise told him smugly as though reading Draco's thoughts and Draco felt a flush colour his cheeks again. He had made such a fool of himself and he was quite convinced that he was going to come up with some excellent bribery material to keep his housemate from taunting him with this for the rest of eternity.

"I might have tried to brew it a few too many times," Draco admitted begrudgingly. He still blamed Granger for that; if she wasn't such a know-it-all then he wouldn't have had to try so hard. He just wanted to be the best! What was really grating on his nerves, though, was that he _still_ didn't know what had been going wrong.

"It is unwise to brew the Laughing Potion more than twice in a row," Snape informed him in a disapproving tone, unmoving from where he was sat in the armchair, watching the two Slytherin students across from him.

"I think I worked that out for myself," Draco told him. "I just really wanted to get it right." He hesitated, not really wanting to admit his failure in front of Blaise, but knowing that Snape was his best hope of an answer.

"I presume you found it went too dark soon after you giggled at it," Snape said with a knowing expression, and Draco had to make a serious effort to keep from gaping at the man. That was just before adding the pufferskin hair, and it was exactly what had been happening to his potions. "Any suggestions, Mr Zabini?" the potions master asked.

Blaise hummed in thought, as he mulled it over for a few moments, before a small smile formed on his lips. "Lack of emotion," he stated, looking to Snape for confirmation.

"Precisely," the potions master said, nodding his head once in approval. "Five points to Slytherin," he added with a hint of pride. "Your giggle lacked true emotion, Mr Malfoy," Snape clarified.

"Oh," Draco said, feeling as though he really should have been able to figure that out for himself. He was now keen to get a chance to try again, once he had worked out how he was going to giggle sincerely.

"At least your housemates should be capable of brewing it now," Snape commented, looking as amused as Draco had ever seen him, "just so long as they can recall the memory of your earlier behaviour."

Draco scowled at him. He was already feeling ashamed for having so strongly affected by the potion's fumes and making such a fool of himself, and he really didn't need the potions master rubbing salt in the wound.

"Just look at our housemate's like that, and I am sure no one will be stupid enough to mention it," Blaise told Draco confidently. "And I'll protect you from anyone idiotic enough to do it," he added, giving the blond an exaggerated wink.

"Well..." Snape said firmly, before Draco could respond, "seeing as you are clearly back to yourself, I shall give the two of you a moment to speak privately, while I inform Madam Pomfrey about your recovery," the potions master told them rather smugly as he stood, smirking at the pair of them before turning and sweeping from the room.

"So..." Blaise said, turning to face Draco once the two of them were alone, the corner of his mouth curving up into a knowing smirk, "I'm comfortable?" he asked teasingly.

Draco felt his face heat up as he blushed, remembering all the things he had said the night before when the Laughing Potion fumes had sapped his inhibitions. "Apparently," the blond said, as haughtily as he could manage, crossing his arms over his chest, and sticking his nose in the air.

Blaise looked exceedingly pleased with that confirmation, as though the fact that Draco had spent the majority of the night sleeping in his arms hadn't been proof enough. "And more attractive than Pansy?" Blaise added, after a few seconds.

"Definitely!" Draco blurted out before he could stop himself, feeling himself blush even more than before once he registered what he had said. Blaise, however, just chuckled deeply, leaning closer to the blond.

"Then I guess we do have something to talk about," he said with a grin, before capturing Draco's lips with his own, cutting off whatever words had been about to slip off the blond's vicious tongue and swallowing the delicious moan that replaced them.

As surprised as Draco was by the action, he was certainly not complaining and let Blaise pull him closer, deepening the kiss. This definitely was a wonderful price to pay for his competitiveness.


	2. The Rewards of Perseverance

**AN - Did not think that I was going to get this done in time for today (and it was a very close thing - so apologies for any mistakes, please feel free to point them out)**

 **Happy Valentine's Day. Particularly to my wonderful girlfriend, Celtic Kitsune, to whom I gift this story.**

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 **The Rewards of Perseverance**

It was finally Saturday, and after a long week of lessons and homework, Draco was very much looking forward to escaping the castle and visiting Hogsmeade. He knew that his peers felt similarly. It was likely why they had been in such a hurry to get down to breakfast.

Of course, it was also possible that the other Slytherin boys had simply grown bored of waiting for Draco to figure out his wardrobe for the day. Greg and Vince, in particular, had never had much patience for Draco's extensive clothes selection process, certainly not when the option of food was available.

It had therefore seemed perfectly reasonable to Draco when he had believed himself alone in the dormitory. He took his time selecting several of his favourite items of clothing, carefully laying them out on top of his silken green bedspread; however, he paused as a small sound of movement caught his attention.

He had a strong suspicion that he knew exactly who it was that had quietly, sneakily, remained behind. He could all but feel those dark eyes upon him, a piercing gaze boring into his back. It was taking a lot to keep from turning to glare at the culprit. He knew, however, that any kind of stern look would only provoke his housemate, and encourage the ogling. It had been that way since the kiss they had shared in Snape's office the week before. Draco had been doing all he could to avoid Blaise since then, but his housemate was annoyingly determined.

Draco pointedly ignored him, and instead held up two robes for comparison, one in each hand.

"You should go with the blue," Blaise commented casually, the familiar voice confirming Draco's suspicion.

Draco did turn and glare then, his arms drooping; only the magic woven into the fabric kept the high-end, personally-tailored robes from trailing on the floor.

"Just my two knuts' worth," Blaise said with a dismissive shrug.

Blaise was leaning against the doorframe, and Draco found himself in reluctant admiration of his housemate's casual elegance. Draco steeled himself and narrowed his eyes further; he was not going to be encouraging Blaise. The corner of Blaise's lips twitched in knowing amusement. Draco held his gaze for several dragging moments, but it did no good.

"The blue?" Draco asked with a resigned sigh. He was painfully aware, from experience, that Blaise was not only unlikely to let his opinion go unheard, but that Blaise was also blessed with a great talent for picking an outfit. And why should he to turn down free counsel when it was so willingly offered.

"The blue," Blaise confirmed, pushing himself off from the doorframe and sauntering across the space between them. "Is a good shade for you. And the way it tapers just here," he added, reaching out to brush his hand over Draco's waist. He let the sentence trail into nothing, garnishing it with a lecherous wink.

"Pervert," Draco grumbled as he turned to lay the blue robe with the rest of his clothes for the day, hoping that he had hidden the shudder that had shot up his spin at the other boy's touch.

Blaise chuckled in amusement, the deep and rumbling sound causing a tightness in Draco's gut.

"No, Draco," Blaise told him, leaning in close so that Draco didn't miss a word, despite the quiet, salacious tone, "if I wanted to be a pervert I would tell you to wear _fancy_ under-britches."

"Under-britches?" Draco asked incredulously, spinning around and batting Blaise away from him and back out of his personal space.

Blaise burst out in genuine laughter, dodging Draco's swatting hands as best he could.

"You are ridiculous," Draco stated simply, stubbornly trying to keep from laughing himself. He was not encouraging him, he reminded himself.

"Possibly," Blaise admitted, shrugging his shoulders and taking a seat on Greg's bed, which was next to Draco's. "What?" he asked, when Draco stared at him expectantly.

"You're intending to sit there and watch as I change?" Draco asked, raising an eyebrow in question.

Blaise rolled his eyes dramatically. "We've been sharing a dormitory since we were eleven, Draco," he reminded him, "you don't have much that I haven't already seen. And nothing at all that I wouldn't care to," he added under his breath.

Draco, however, stubbornly continued to look at him pointedly.

"Okay, okay," Blaise said, raising his hands in surrender and getting back to his feet. "I'll be waiting for you in the common room when you are done dolling yourself up," he said once he was by the door, darting it out of it quickly and closing it behind him before Draco had a chance to respond.

It hadn't escaped Draco's notice that Blaise was surprisingly good at making sure he was out of reach at opportune times.

-#-

It was almost half an hour later when Draco finally made his way out of the boys' dormitory and up the stairs to the common room. He had gone with Blaise's recommendation, and was wearing the blue robe. Blaise had been undeniably right. It was a great robe.

Draco was only half surprised when spotted Blaise lounging in the closest chair, a book open in his lap.

"You actually waited," Draco commented, moving to stand next to Slytherin-green armchair, peering down over Blaise's shoulder to see what he was reading. He didn't recognise it, even when Blaise flipped it shut, revealing the dark blue, leather cover. The golden script of the title was too worn to be easily read.

"Mhmm, I did," Blaise hummed in agreement, tilting his head back to smile sweetly up at Draco, "despite your impressive procrastination skills."

"I was not procrastinating," Draco protested indignantly, his face scrunching at the affront. "I was simply dressing to a standard befitting of my station." It could hardly be helped if it had taken quarter of an hour to ensure that every hair was styled to perfection.

"And very handsome you look too," Blaise complimented, as he unfolded himself from the chair, absently dropping the closed book onto the vacated seat. "Now you can accompany me for a drink at The Three Broomsticks," he stated, with an arrogantly smug smile.

"Blaise…" Draco said, narrowing his eyes.

"Or Madam Puddifoot's, if that's more the kind of atmosphere you were after," Blaise added, looking particularly pleased with himself.

"You're hilarious," Draco deadpanned sarcastically.

"Yet another marvellous reason for you to spend today in my company," Blaise pointed out, following Draco as the blond headed for the door. "We already know you're… comfortable in my presence."

Draco felt his cheeks flush at the thinly veiled reference to his potions mishap, but said nothing. He kept moving out into the dungeon corridor, making a deliberate effort to control his pace and not break into an undignified run, frustratingly aware that Blaise was right on his heels.

He hadn't lied back then, Blaise truly had been comfortable, but despite the rather wonderful kiss they had shared, the discomfort Draco felt at something more developing between them was his overriding concern for the moment. He was a Malfoy, the last of his name, given that his parents had no intentions of providing him with any siblings; this came with a certain degree of obligation that he couldn't ignore.

"You are definitely thinking too hard," Blaise told him as he properly caught up with the blond, matching his stride, and linking his arm with Draco's.

Draco looked over at him. "This is not a date," he stated firmly, though he did nothing to pull away.

"Whatever you say, handsome," Blaise told him with a charming and far-from-innocent smile. "Just going to keep you company, and if you decide you do want to be all mine in the meantime…" he trailed off, with a shrug of his shoulder.

"Not going to happen," Draco insisted.

"Whatever you say, handsome," Blaise said again, smiling in amusement as they headed down the front steps of the castle.

-#-

The Three Broomsticks was crowded, thanks to the many students who were making the most of the opportunity to drink something other than pumpkin juice, and the room was loud with the sound of overlapping conversations.

Draco and Blaise stopped just inside the door, both looking around in vain for a free table. So when Pansy stood up and waved them over, Draco tried to convince himself that it was relief that he was feeling. It wasn't like he _wanted_ this to be a date.

"Well that's a shame," Blaise bemoaned with a dramatically resigned sigh, and a look that gave Draco the unsettling sensation that his dormmate knew far too much about exactly what Draco was feeling. "It looks like you'll have to share me for the moment. Though the offer to go to Madam Puddifoot's still stands..."

"As I said, hilarious," Draco deadpanned once more. Not waiting for a response, he headed off towards the table where Pansy, Theo, Tracy, Daphne, Vince and Greg were gathered.

As he wound his way between the tables, avoiding the wild gesticulation of some other patrons, a hand pressed against the small of Draco's back and only well-practiced self-control kept him from flinching. He glanced over his shoulder, just to be sure that it was, as he suspected, Blaise. Sure enough his housemate was right there, smiling with infuriating charm. Draco did his best to ignore the warmth rising in his cheeks and resisted the urge to hex Blaise.

"What are you smiling about?" Pansy asked Draco as they reached the table.

"I'm not," Draco stated firmly, and possibly a little too quickly, forcing the traitorous corners of his mouth back down to where they belonged. He absolutely had not been smiling, and definitely not about the feel of Blaise's hand on his back.

"Don't be silly, Pansy," Blaise stated as he stole two momentarily vacant chairs from nearby tables, placing one behind Draco and squeezing the other into the small space between Daphne and Theo, "you know Draco doesn't express emotions."

Draco huffed quietly as he sat down, silently grateful for the chair but ignoring the amused smirks that Blaise and Pansy were sharing. He knew that Blaise hadn't intended the sarcastic remark to be a compliment, but he was going to take it that way regardless. Any issue they took with that was their problem, not his.

"Not without the aid of potions anyway," Tracey pointed out snarkily, to a round of tittering laughter from the others.

Draco, however, was not amused. He frowned, wondering just how long it would be before one of their peers made a blunder large enough to distract from his own humiliation. He rather hoped it would be Blaise, theorising that the other boy might become too busy, dealing with whatever fallout, to keep up with his time-consuming stalk-Draco campaign.

"I'm going to get a drink," Draco told them, but Blaise was there, hand on his shoulder before Draco could even get to his feet.

"I'll get it. Butterbeer?" Blaise asked, waiting only long enough for Draco's vaguely bemused nod before disappearing into the hordes around them.

There was an uncomfortable, silent tension at the table then and Daphne gave Draco a demanding look, awaiting some kind of explanation; the others seemed perfectly content to let her lead the charge in their wordless integration. Draco, however, knew that nothing short of Cruciatus was going to get his tongue wagging on this particular subject. It was none of their business. Besides, he wasn't entirely clear on what was happening himself, certainly not well enough to put it into informative sentences.

"Are we having lunch here?" Greg asked after a few moments, and everyone turned to look at him.

"What? We were just wondering," Vince, who was sat next to him, added.

"We only had breakfast an hour and half ago," Pansy pointed out with obvious disbelief. "Even you two can't actually be hungry again already!"

"They're always hungry," Theo pointed out dryly before turning to Vince and Greg. "Get yourselves more Butterbeers," he suggested. "Madam Rosmerta probably has some cakes or something if you really need to eat again that badly."

Greg and Vince looked rather keen on that suggestion, hurrying off to go and find the pub landlady. Blaise had to move quickly to the side, when the two mountainous teens barged passed him, and he only just managed not to spill the glasses of butterbeer he was holding, one in each hand.

"Where were those two off to?" Blaise asked as he placed one of them down in front of Draco.

"Food," Tracey informed him bluntly, and he simply nodded in understanding.

"Budge along," Blaise told Theo.

Theo looked up at him in confusion, and Blaise gave a small wave of his hand, gesturing that he wanted Theo to move along a seat. Theo, despite appearing unimpressed with the suggestion, did as requested, taking the seat that Blaise had placed next to Daphne earlier. Blaise promptly took the now vacate seat next to Draco, and sipped at his drink.

"This is not a date," Draco muttered quietly through clenched teeth, knowing his words would mostly unheard over the chatter of people around them.

Blaise, however, placed his drink on the table and smiled at Draco once more. "Whatever you say…" he said, pausing to lean close enough that only Draco would be able to hear him, "…handsome."

"I'm going to find the bathroom," Draco said dryly, pointedly ignoring Pansy's sniggering amusement. He was also doing his utmost to pretend not to notice the way that Blaise's gaze trailed the length of his body as he stood up. "Don't drink my drink," he told Pansy before heading in the direction of the loos.

-#-

Draco was feeling a bit more in control of himself and his rising temper as he made his way back to the table ten minutes later. Though the sight of Blaise sat at the table alone, had Draco feeling so many conflicting emotions that he wasn't quite sure where to start.

"Where did the others go?" Draco asked, taking a seat across from Blaise. He picked up his drink when Blaise pushed it towards him, and took a large sip.

"They somehow got the impression we would appreciate some time alone," Blaise told him.

Draco had been expecting the same teasing humour that Blaise had been using all day, but there was something bordering on vulnerable in the way Blaise spoke, in the way those dark eyes were observing him.

" _Is_ this a date?" Draco asked quietly, and he genuinely wasn't sure what answer to hope for.

"It's whatever you say it is, handsome," Blaise replied, the corner of his lips twitching into a smile. Draco chuckled softly and shook his head. "Though, I have already been considering you at least a little bit mine ever since that kiss," Blaise informed him, "so you will need to come up with an impressively convincing argument if the answer's no."

Draco gaped at him for a few seconds, before the indignity of it dawned on him and he snapped his mouth closed. His gut felt like it was twisted into a Gordian Knot, making him feel like he might bring up the small amount of Butterbeer he had actually consumed. It wasn't painful though, nor even strictly unpleasant; more… disconcerting.

"What do you want from me?" Draco asked, before his brain could managed to put together a sentence that didn't sound like an accusation.

"I am fairly sure the kiss we shared last week made that apparent," Blaise said, unfazed. "Not to mention my comment regarding my possessive intentions… all of twenty seconds ago. I can hear your brain churning through all the reasons not to from here, and I can tell you now I have carefully considered responses for each of your excuses; perhaps you should consider all the reasons we should."

Draco watched as Blaise elegantly leaned back in his chair, long lean limbs stretching, his dark skin flawlessly taut over the subtle curvature of his muscles. As much as Draco's parents' disapproval was screaming in his head, Draco could indeed think of many good reasons to give Blaise a chance. It wasn't like he was committing to anything.

"Very well," Draco agreed after a few moments, almost regretting his choice when he saw the breadth of Blaise's smug grin. "But I expect to be showered with extravagant gifts for as long as this dating continues."

"Of course," Blaise agreed easily, leaning forward in his chair, arms resting on the table and fixing Draco with an intense but unreadable expression.

"You still have some convincing to do," Draco warned, knowing that there were concerns he had that no complexion, smile, or buttocks, no matter how exquisite, would be able to quash.

"I would have been most disappointed if you made this easy, Draco," Blaise told him earnestly, letting the name roll off his tongue with deliberate slowness. "Perhaps I could even earn a kiss for my efforts by the end of this date?" he asked hopefully.

"Maybe," Draco agreed, suppressing the amused smile that tried to break free, hiding it behind another sip of his drink. After all, he did feel that Blaise deserved some kind of reward for his perseverance.

* * *

 **For the moment I once again have no concrete plans to write any more of this story, but I imagine at some point we might see some more of these two.**

 **Hope you enjoyed it.**


	3. The Value of Determination

AN: Happy Valentine's Day. This chapter is dedicated to my wife, Celtic Kitsune, and it has now been 1 month since we got married and I couldn't be happier. I love you so much, sweetheart.

Incidentally, this is why there have been so few updates in the last year, as I have been rather busy getting engaged, and getting married, and figuring out my future with my new wife. But things will hopefully settle a bit now, and I have been working on several projects, even if they aren't ready to be posted just yet, I hope that at least some of them will be at some point this year. But in the meantime, I hope you enjoy this story's annual update.

Summary: After a successful date in Hogsmeade, Blaise is determined to prove that he can be everything that Draco needs, even in the face of Malfoy family expectations.

* * *

 **The Value of Determination**

Draco could admit, to himself at least, that he had enjoyed his date with Blaise in Hogsmeade. Though it had been hard to ignore the smirks he had seen Pansy giving them on several occasions when the two of them had passed their fellow Slytherins. The sun was setting now though and as the temperature started to drop, the other students were beginning to make their way back up to the school.

"Anything else you want to do today, handsome?" Blaise asked with a grin, looping his arm through Draco's as they left the bookshop.

Draco smirked at him, unfazed by Blaise's familiarity; Blaise had always been tactile with him, even before they had started exploring whatever was between them.

"I think I am appeased for the moment," he told him.

Blaise had a bag in his other hand, full of items that had caught Draco's eye, or that Blaise had otherwise decided the blond needed to own. Draco was pleased to let the other boy carry their purchases, even if the bag was lightened with a feather-weight Charm.

"Then I suppose we should head back up to the castle," Blaise said, even as they already started to follow the crowds of other students heading in that direction. "We could rejoin the others," he added, nodding his head toward a small crowd up the road.

"I suppose," Draco agreed, glancing in the same direction, and spotting Pansy, Tracey and Theo; however, he made no attempt to detach Blaise from his arm. "We should probably walk back without them though."

"Oh, really?" Blaise questioned smugly. "Wanting to keep me to yourself a little longer?"

"More that I wish to postpone Pansy's interrogation," Draco corrected sternly, not wanting to boost Blaise's ego any further. "Besides, the girls are clearly enjoying torturing Theo," he added, gesturing to them once more, as the frowning Theo was handed yet another bag to hold when Daphne joined them. "I would hate to spoil their fun so soon."

"You're such a malicious little shit," Blaise declared joyfully, with obvious amusement. "I did always enjoy that about you."

Draco chuckled deeply, unable to keep from smirking happily. Despite Blaise's inelegant phrasing, it was oddly comforting to know that the other boy didn't have unreasonable expectations, wasn't looking for Draco to change into someone he wasn't. So this time when he caught the smug expression Pansy was shooting their way, he simply smiled false sweetness right back, as he and Blaise wandered past.

-#-

"Does Theo need to find a different room to sleep in tonight?" Pansy asked bluntly, across the dinner table, eagerly watching for both Blaise and Draco's reactions; smirking victoriously when they both looked up to glare at her.

"Must you be so crude?" Daphne asked huffily, putting her fork down and pushing her half-full plate away slightly.

"Pansy always has struggled with the nuances of polite conversation," Draco sneered before taking a sip of his juice. "She is easily the least subtle Slytherin I've ever met."

"I dunno," Theo said pensively. "Blaise isn't always subtle either."

"How dare you?" Blaise gasped in mock outrage, turning to Theo. "I'll have you know I am always precisely as subtle as a situation calls for. I won't be slighted just because I go after what I want."

"One might question the quality of the things you want," Theo remarked, smirking past Blaise to the blond next to him. "But seriously, guys, just give me a little notice if you want some alone time," he told his dorm mates, "I don't need to see or hear any of that."

"I wouldn't mind," Pansy piped up with a broad grin.

"You are a disgraceful human being," Draco stated dryly, before dabbing a napkin at the corner of his mouth. "And I think I'll leave now before you say something I can't unhear," he told them, placing the napkin back on the table and getting up from his seat.

"I'll come with you," Blaise said, hastily spooning the last bite of cottage pie into his mouth as he got up too. "Don't say it," he added when Pansy opened her mouth to make the obvious vulgar joke.

"I am saying nothing," she told him with an unrepentant grin.

Blaise and Draco pointedly ignored her, and the rest of their chuckling and giggling friends, and headed for the large doors of the Great Hall. None of the other students paid them the slightest bit of attention. Though the two of them remained silent, even as they left the room and made their way toward the Slytherin common room.

"Today doesn't change anything," Draco lied as they took the stairs down to the dungeon levels.

"Are you quite sure it doesn't?" Blaise asked, a smug and knowing expression on his face. "You enjoyed yourself today," he stated with complete confidence.

"You bought me things," Draco pointed out. "I like things."

"I had noticed that," Blaise remarked with amusement. "Though it seemed obvious that our purchases were not all you liked."

Draco couldn't bring himself to deny that, he had enjoyed Blaise's company far more than he had expected, even having known the other boy for years. But it still wasn't enough. His attraction to Blaise wasn't the problem, it was the family obligations he had to uphold.

"Hellebore," Draco said as they reached a stretch of stone wall, and the entrance to the common room revealed itself.

"I know you have doubts," Blaise went on, as they headed down the passageway, "but you should definitely give me a chance."

"There are things that even you could never provide me with, Blaise," Draco told him, voice full of regret as they made their way across the common room together.

"Like what, Draco?" Blaise asked stubbornly. "Give me specifics here, give me an opportunity to address your concerns, before you dismiss any chance we might have."

"Blaise…" Draco all but sighed, as they stepped into the dormitory they shared.

Give me a list," Blaise suggested enthusiastically, his expression as determined as Draco had ever seen it.

Draco hesitated then, knowing that Blaise was not going to give this up, unless presented with an unsurpassable obstacle.

"Okay, a list," Draco conceded, removing his robe and hanging it on the hook next to his bed. When he turned back to Blaise, the other teen was watching him expectantly. "I'm not going to just give it to you now. I want time to fully consider all my obligations, ensure that nothing is forgotten."

"Very well," Blaise huffed, though he still seemed pleased. "But, if I can provide a solution to every problem you can think of, then you'll give us a chance. A real chance."

"Of course," Draco agreed easily; if Blaise really could meet every one of his needs, then he would have no reason to resist.

"Then I shall leave you to it," Blaise told him, even as he took several steps closer to Draco, encroaching on his personal space. "Until tomorrow, Draco," he said softly, before leaning in and pressing a kiss to the corner of his lips. "Goodnight, handsome."

Draco watched, with a dazed expression as Blaise turned and left the room. He raised his hand, his fingers brushing over the spot where Blaise had kissed him. It had been more than a week since they had shared the kiss in Snape's office, and the small affectionate gesture was making his body cry out for more; not that he would be telling anyone that, least of all, Blaise.

Mentally shaking himself from his revere, Draco fetched parchment, ink and a quill from his trunk. Hoping he had at least a little while before any of his housemates showed up, he settled himself at the small desk next to his bed and set to work on his list.

-#-

Having had an early night, Draco awoke just before dawn. The rest of his housemates were still fast asleep, as evidenced by the rumbling snores coming from both Vince and Greg's beds, and the silence coming from Blaise and Theo's.

Yawning widely, he sat up in bed, drew back the hangings, and retrieved the small sheet of parchment from his bedside table. He took his time to carefully read through the list once more. He nodded his approval to himself, placed it safely back on the table and slid out of bed, but even as he dressed for the day, the list played on his mind.

Despite the several hours he had spent composing it, it was almost disappointingly short, but, for the life of him, he couldn't think of anything else to add. He supposed though, that the final issue on the list was problematic enough on its own. However, that left him feeling torn. Part of him felt smug, in that he was obviously right; there was no way that he and Blaise could be together, it simply wasn't an option. But there was also disappointment.

Draco glanced over toward Blaise's bed, imagining the teen behind his own bed-hangings, dressed only is loose pyjama bottoms, bed sheets tangled around his waist, bare chest and arms exposed. He knew now that it had been foolish to allow himself a taste of what Blaise was offering.

His housemates were still asleep when he left the dormitory half-an-hour later, though the sun was definitely up now. He made his way upstairs to the Great Hall, and was glad to find the large doors open-wide and food lining the tables beyond; a few students had even arrived before him, though only a couple of young Ravenclaws and an older Hufflepuff girl, none of whom he recognised.

Silently, Draco found himself a seat about halfway along the Slytherin table, facing the rest of the room. Placing his book bag on the bench next to him, he pulled out his Transfiguration homework and poured himself a cup of tea.

The time passed quickly as he sipped his tea and nibbled on several pieces of toast. He barely noticed more and more students filing into the hall, as he read over his essay on the regulation of Conjuration, correcting the few minor issues he found. On the whole though, he was satisfied with the quality of his work.

"It's not even seven-thirty yet, on a Sunday, and you're doing homework?" Tracey asked incredulously, as she, Pansy and Daphne joined him at the table, taking the three seats across from him.

"Not anymore," Draco said. He hadn't quite finished reading through the whole thing, but still hastily rolled up the parchment, before any of the girls could spill anything on it, accidentally or otherwise.

"We weren't going to copy you," Daphne told him, huffing in offence as he stashed the parchment safely back in his bag.

"Anyone would think you didn't trust us, Draco," Pansy simpered, a teasing grin plastered on her face.

Draco scoffed but said nothing more as moved his bag to down by his feet, pulled his plate back in front of him and served himself a proper breakfast of bacon and eggs, before pouring another cup of tea. He paid attention to the three girls while they were talking about the anti-copying spells that could be used to prevent cheating, but once the conversation moved on to whatever supposedly scandalous thing Georgina Smythwick had done this week, Draco let the specifics wash over him.

He was almost at the point of giving up waiting for Blaise when he spotted Greg and Vince heading toward him, with Theo and Blaise only a few paces behind. He deliberately calmed himself, despite the conflicting emotions he felt.

"Morning, handsome," Blaise remarked as he squashed himself in close to Draco's side, the length of their thighs pressed together, leaving Draco no elbow room to speak of. "You look rather pleased to see me. Been waiting for me long?" he asked smugly.

Draco huffed, still somehow impressed by the sheer scale of Blaise's ego, and instead of answering the other teen, he simply withdrew the parchment list he had tucked into his robes.

"Just waiting to give you this," Draco stated, pressing it into Blaise's hand, before getting to his feet. "Good luck," he said as he picked up his bag and swung it over his shoulder. "You'll need it," he added, before turning and sweeping from the room, chin held high as he willed himself not to panic.

-#-

Draco spent the morning in the library, finishing off reading through his homework, and making sure everything was up to standard and though he half expected Blaise to come find him, he was left undisturbed. He had lunch in the Great Hall with his friends, but Blaise was oddly absent. He spent the afternoon out in the grounds but by the time dinner rolled around, Draco hadn't seen the other boy all day.

"Have you seen Blaise?" he asked Theo quietly as they all made their way back up to the castle.

"Not since breakfast," Theo said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Why? Are you missing him?"

"What? No, of course not," Draco insisted. "I was just worried about what trouble he might be getting himself caught up in now."

"Draco, no one or nothing could be more trouble than you," Theo assured him, "and he is plenty caught up on you. Disgustingly so at times."

"That's not…" Draco started to argue, but when Theo's taunting smirk grew wider, he realised he was just making matters worse. "Whatever," he huffed dismissively, trying not to think too hard on why the other teen might have disappeared since being given the list that morning.

But when they reached the Great Hall, Blaise was right there, sat at the Slytherin table, his nose buried in a book.

"See, told you you had nothing to worry about," Theo said, heading over to join their friend.

Draco frowned. He didn't know why he felt so impatient to get a response from Blaise, but despite his urge to rush to his fellow Slytherin and shake answers from him, he followed calmly after Theo and they sat across from the other teen. Blaise was already shutting the book as he did so, and Draco failed to make out the title embossed on the cover before Blaise had slid the tomb into his bag and out of sight.

"Draco was fretting about where you were all day," Theo said as he helped himself to a large slice of beef and onion pie, with a generous side of mash and carrots.

Draco, who was halfway through dishing up his own helping, looked aghast. "I was not fretting!" he exclaimed indignantly. "I simply asked if you had seen Blaise," he added through gritted teeth, as he turned to glare furiously at Theo.

"Really?" Blaise asked jovially, seemingly delighted at this news. "Don't worry, handsome," he said as he turned to smile warmly at Draco, "I just had some research to take care of. I could never stay away from you for long."

"What are you researching?" Theo asked curiously.

"That you will just have to wait and see," Blaise told him.

Draco didn't know exactly what Blaise was looking up, but he had a strong suspicion that he knew why; and he hated the spark of hope that suspicion gave him. He didn't dare dream that Blaise might yet rise to the challenge his list had presented.

-#-

Draco was sprawled across one of the armchairs in the Slytherin common room, his legs over one arm, his back against the other. It was saturday, and around him there was the general bustle of his fellow Slytherins going about their business; he paid them no mind. He knew that Pansy and Theo were somewhere close by, working arduously on their Astronomy charts, which made him glad to have completed his the precious evening.

In fact, he had nothing to do but dwell on his ever growing concern. It had been six days since he had given Blaise the list and the other teen hadn't so much as mentioned it since. And the truth was, he didn't even know what he wanted Blaise to say anymore, he just wanted an answer, something to put an end to the torturous wait.

What he wanted to do was demand answers right now, but that was hard to do when Blaise kept disappearing off, with little or no explanation, sometimes for hours at a time. And Draco hadn't actually seen him since breakfast that morning. He was just contemplating going and hunting the other teen down when a loud thunk drew everyone's attention to the entrance to the common room.

"I have an announcement of utmost importance!" Blaise declared loudly, his voice carrying with an ease that could only mean use of the sonorus charm. The few people who hadn't already looked up, now gave him their attention, their curiosity getting the better of them.

Draco, however, was staring at the teen in bemusement. Blaise was dressed smartly in finest dark-grey robes, his hair freshly trimmed, and leaning on an elegant ebony cane, which Draco assumed was what had made the clunk to catch everyone's attention in the first place. Once again, he found himself struck by how attractive Blaise was, but he kept his face deceptively impassive.

"As many of you are aware," Blaise went on as he swaggered his way down the steps and further into the common room, "I have recently discovered that our own Draco Malfoy has excellent taste in men."

"That's questionable," Theo called out from across the room, earning several laughs, but Draco ignored the remark, smirking a little when he heard Pansy chastising Theo.

"Of course, I could never resist such a smart, handsome and enthrallingly vicious young man," Blaise went on, continuing across the room, his gaze fixed on the blond in question.

Draco swung his feet down to the floor, sitting upright as Blaise approached the chair where he was sat. He had a feeling that Blaise might actually have risen to the challenge, which was both exciting and terrifying; but what made him uncomfortable was that it seemed Blaise intended to discuss this publicly, leaving Draco with few options. It was annoyingly, endearingly, Slytherin.

"Perhaps we could go to our dormitory," Draco quietly suggested in vain.

Blaise met his eye as he chuckled deeply, smirked smugly and shook his head almost imperceptibly. "But would you believe it," he said loudly, turning to look around at the Slytherins watching on, "he worries I'll tarnish the Malfoy reputation. I should be offended!"

There were mutterings around the room, though Draco didn't take his eyes off Blaise long enough to identify who it was. But he felt justified in having added that point to the list. Blaise's reputation was certainly quite different from his own.

"But I ask, would you not all think less of Malfoy, if he is to deny himself what he wants?" Blaise asked, pausing for a moment to let them all think on that. "Does a true Slytherin not find a way to take what they truly want?"

This time the mutters were far more enthusiastic, and Draco realised how well Blaise was playing the room; if he rejected Blaise now, it would make Draco seem weak. But Blaise wasn't done yet.

"The Malfoy family reputation was not his only concern, however," Blaise told them, "so I think we should address his other concerns, don't you?" he asked.

There were calls of agreement, and Blaise leaned the cane against the side of the nearby sofa and pulled out a piece of parchment from the inside breast pocket of his robes. Draco wanted to sink into the chair, as Blaise unfolded the list, clearing his throat dramatically.

"These are the requirements he has challenged me to meet," Blaise explained, holding the parchment up for a few seconds. "Marry an approved Pure-blood," he read before pausing and looking back to Draco. "My blood is as pure as anyone's here, and I do not think even Lucius Malfoy would be able to deem me not worthy. And we both know that your mother already adores me," Blaise pointed out with a smirk. "More than you sometimes I believe."

Draco couldn't really deny that; Narcissa Malfoy had always thought Blaise charming, even when they had been nothing more than young children. And if Blaise really could talk his way around every item on the list, then even Lucius would have trouble refusing to accept their relationship. Blaise continued to smirk at him, knowing this was working.

"What's next on the list?" an impatient third year called out after several quiet moments, to many cries of agreement.

"Ah, for this I shall need a beautiful assistant," Blaise declared, making his way over to Pansy and Theo.

Draco glanced over toward their friends. Pansy was grinning broadly, and already getting to her feet, but as Blaise reached the two of them, he held his hand out towards Theo. Pansy's eyes narrowed and her lips pinched, in a clear attempt to hide how offended she was in that moment, but Draco was far more amused by the worried and bemused expression on Theo's face.

"May I have the honour of this dance?" Blaise asked, glancing over towards Tracey, who started the music.

Draco realised then just how carefully orchestrated this whole show was, and he found himself impressed; though Theo clearly hadn't been consulted, given his expression as Blaise all but tugged Theo to his feet. He wanted to hide his face in his hands, when the two of them started dancing to a familiar classical tune, which he knew from so many of the formal events he had been required to attend. He knew now the point Blaise was trying to make.

Blaise made sure to glance in Draco's direction on several occasions, ensuring he was watching closely, not missing a moment of Theo leading him around the common room in a formal dance they had all known since childhood.

After several minutes, Draco was starting to wonder if they actually intended to complete the entire dance, until the two of them suddenly stopped in the open space in front of Draco's chair, when Blaise leaned in close and whispered something.

"Nope," Theo said loudly, abruptly dropping Blaise to the floor, before heading back over to his previous seat without a backward glance, much to the laughs, cheers and applause of the Slytherin audience.

Draco suppressed his laugh down into an amused smirk. He would love to know what exactly Blaise had said to their dorm-mate, to warrant such a reaction.

"I think you can all agree I can dance," Blaise said, rolling over onto his side, propping his head up on his hand and grinning broadly up at Draco from the floor, as though he had always intended to land there.

"You fall spectacularly," someone called out from across the room.

"That too," Blaise agreed shamelessly, winking up at Draco. "Though I do not think Draco would be callous enough to simply drop his spouse, certainly not before the song finished. He is a Malfoy, not a Nott after all."

"Would that make you a Malfoy too?" Pansy asked loudly, a broad and teasing grin on her face.

"Of course," Blaise said, giving Draco what appeared to be a genuine smile. "I would be honoured."

"Really?" Draco questioned in surprise. It had never occurred to him that Blaise would so easily surrender such a piece of his own identity, but there was no hesitance to be seen.

"Zabini is just a name," Blaise said, pushing himself to his feet with surprising grace. He took several steps forward leaning each of his hands on the arms of Draco's chair, looking him in the eye. "Malfoy is a title."

"Fucking marry him already," Pansy shouted, earning cheers and applause from around the room. Draco wanted to, more than he had expected but there was one final question.

"The final point on the list?" he asked quietly, almost scared to bring it up, lest Blaise fail at the last hurdle.

But Blaise's responding smirk both calmed him and sent his heart racing. "I have found a solution. Not an easy one, granted, but one I believe you will approve of; though perhaps this should be discussed in private," he suggested, straightening up and holding out his hand. "Will you hear me out?"

"I'm listening," Draco told him earnestly, taking Blaise's hand, and allowing the other teen to lead him off toward their dormitory, hardly caring about the whistling, catcalls and applause that followed them.


End file.
